Box Score PHOTO GALLERY
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Georgia Southern catcher Chase Griffin singled up the middle to drive in left fielder Stryker Brown to give the fourth-seeded Eagles a 4-3 victory over third-seeded Samford in the championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
Samford led, 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, with star closer
Andres Gracia on the mound. Aaron Mizell singled through the right side of the infield to lead off the inning. Brown then walked, moving Mizell to second base. Brown and Mizell then moved up a base each on a balk. With one out, Hunter Thomas was intentionally walked to load the bases. Garrett Chapman then singled to drive in Mizell to tie the score at 3-3.
Samford head coach
Casey Dunn then put
Danny Rodriguez into the game as an extra infielder, taking out center fielder
T.J. Dixon to decrease the chances of a game-winning single. Griffin, however, singled up the middle, driving in Brown to give the Eagles the 4-3 victory.
"This was just a great college baseball game," Dunn said. "This was two really good teams playing well at the right time. Unfortunately for us, they had the last at-bat today, but it was a well-played game both ways."
With the loss, Samford ends its season with a record of 35-25. This marks just the third team in school history to win 35 games. Georgia Southern improves to 39-21. The Eagles earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. GSU will learn where and who it will play during the NCAA Selection Show Sunday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU. Samford and GSU have now met in the SoCon title game in three of the last four years.
Samford was led at the plate by
Caleb Bryson, going 2-for-3.
Drew McWhorter,
Brandon Powell and
Frankie Navarrete drove in a run each for the Bulldogs.
Gracia (2-1) pitched the final 1.1 innings, giving up two runs on four hits to take the loss. Gracia had surrendered just one earned run all season prior to the ninth inning.
Alex Ledford started the game on the mound for Samford, pitching 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits.
For GSU, Sam Howard (6-5) pitched 1.0 inning in relief, without allowing a hit, to earn the win for the Eagles. Jason Richman, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, pitched 2.0 innings in relief, giving up no runs on just one hit. Josh Wirsu started the game and tossed 6.0 innings, giving up three runs on five hits.
For GSU at the plate, Mizell went 2-for-4. Brown, Thomas, Chapman and Griffin drove in a run each for the Eagles.
Samford took an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning. Dixon doubled down the left-field line to lead off the inning. Dixon moved to third base on a ground out by
Jared Watson, and then scored on a ground out by McWhorter for a 1-0 Samford lead.
The Bulldogs added two runs in the top of the second inning to push their lead to 3-0. Bryson reached base on an infield single to lead off the inning.
Tyler Filliben then singled to right field, moving Bryson to third base. Bryson then scored on a ground out by Powell. With two outs, Navarrete doubled to drive in Filliben for a three-run Samford lead.
Georgia Southern came back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the Samford lead to 3-2. Brown singled to drive in Ben Morgan for GSU's first run of the game. Thomas later singled up the middle to drive in Mizell to bring the Eagles to within one run.
Samford had three players named to the All-Tournament team. Ledford, Bryson and right fielder
Heath Quinn were Samford's representatives on the All-Tournament team.
All-Tournament TeamSP – Jeffrey Springs, Appalachian State
SP – Alex Ledford, SamfordRP – Jason Richman, Georgia Southern
C – Daniel Gerow, Davidson
1B – Caleb Bryson, Samford2B – Ben Morgan, Georgia Southern
SS – Dalton Busby, Georgia Southern
3B – Michael Pierson, Appalachian State
OF – Jake Jones, Furman
OF – Aaron Mizell, Georgia Southern
OF – Heath Quinn, SamfordDH – Alex Abrams, Furman
Most Outstanding PlayerJason Richman, Georgia Southern
